Trackless swimming pool cover



p 13, 6 E. A. BENDER 3,271,788

TRACKLESS SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed June 26, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Z nz'lziazdez; 2 w 6 BY M ML ATTORNEYS Sept. 13, 1966 E. A. BENDER 3,271,738

TRACKLESS SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed June 26, 1964 :3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEE Sept. 13, 1966 E. A. BENDER 3,271,733

TRACKLESS SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed June 26, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 I l I l i l INVENTOR ZwzZA Zwzda; M NZ {0% BY W 47 J 4-\ ATTORNEY-5 United States Patent 3,271,788 TRACKLESS SWIMMING POOL COVER Emil A. Bender, P.O. Box 52, Bakersfield, Calif. Filed June 26, 1964, Ser. No. 378,120

8 Claims. ((31. 4--172) The present invention relates to removable covers for swimming pools having no tracks on which the wheels or rollers of the removable swimming pool covers engage in covering and uncovering a swimming pool, and more particularly the invention relates to means providing improved operation in swimming pool covers being extended over and removed from a swimming pool including realignment means for reorienting or guiding the rollers of the swimming pool cover along a corrected course in traversing from an open to a closed and a re- Opened position.

In the expanding swimming pool construction industry, there are pools made of such various sizes and of such dilferent configurations that is not at all feasible to construct a swimming pool cover that cooperates with physical components of and about the swimming pool in providing ease of operation in covering and uncovering a swimming pool. Some swimming pools are so irregularly configured that where rectangular-shaped covers are provided a substantial sized swimming pool cover is required to provide a complete cover for the pool, and in order to provide for the cover to be completely removable from the swimming pool deck or the functional area immediately adjacent the swimming pool, it is important that the swimming pool cover not be impeded by a diving board or ladders that extend from the sides of the swimming pool itself. For these reasons, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a permanent, automatic, and metal-constructed swimming pool cover that is trackless, has means for guiding itself from an open to a closed and, again, to a reopened position by simple electrical connections or means, and is also self-contained for storage in its closed position and distally, positioned with respect to the swimming pool.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatic and self-guided, collapsible swimming pool cover that is not guided along tracks or other means adjacent the edges of the pool, and yet has a means for easily engaging and securing a fixed edge of the swimming pool cover while the cover is being opened or closed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a realignment feature to the self-contained swimming pool cover including a tapered edge along a scoop assembly for cooperating with respective guide wheels for realigning the self-contained swimming pool cover as it approaches the closed position so that it is initially realigned before each opening operation of the swimming pool cover.

A further feature of the present invention is to provide, in combination with realignment means and a deck plate assembly means for engaging and securing one edge of the swimming pool cover, the additional structural feature of securing or aflixing the wheels or rollers of the swimming pool cover in fixed relation to the driving shaft.

Another object and an important feature of the invention is providing a swimming pool cover of the type described which is not readily removable by trespassers, and requires no tracks or swimming pool ledge-engaging means or complex mechanical features which tend to disfigure the appearance of the pool when the swimming pool cover is in its closed or opened position.

Other features of the invention are that no matter how irregular the size and shape of the pool is, the heating required for the pool is reduced to a minimum; the use of bactericide chemicals is substantially reduced; dust, leaves, and other foreign matter are reduced or eliminated; and maintenance and cleaning of the pool and pool deck are substantially reduced.

An additional object of the invention is to provide protective pool cover means having improved versatility in providing a self-contained and self-guided automatic pool cover means which is easily operated to cover the pool, to uncover the pool, or to fold up the pool cover and store itself out of the way.

Another object of the invention is to provide a readily removable pool cover that is self-contained in its mechanical operation and may be easily stored out of the pool deck area, and yet when applied to cover the swimming pool, it will automatically lock itself into place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a removable switch cord provided for connection to the driving motor of the pool cover for actuating the pool cover to its open and closed positions, respectively.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selfpropclled pool cover carrier together with cooperating anchor or deck plates to which the carrier is capable of being secured and omit the installation of tracks or other obstructions of any kind which mar the beauty of the pool area.

The invention seeks to provide a novel, self-contained swimming pool cover construction possessing the requisite characteristics for use in covering a swimming pool of any configuration.

These objects together with other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view in reduced scale illustrating the automatic, self-contained, self-guided swimming pool cover and carrier in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in its distended or opened position covering a typical, private type swimming pool;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the left-hand side of the cover and carrier shown in FIGURE 1, but on an enlarged scale, and illustrating a partially opened position of the automatic swimming pool cover and carrier at an intermediate stage in the operation of the apparatus, and includes a substantially detailed showing of the latch mechanism of the anchor or deck plate;

FIGURE 3 shows an enlarged side elevational view of the latch mechanism of the anchor or deck plate shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 shows a top plan view of the details of the latch plate or deck plate used in securing one edge of the swimming pool cover in its fixed position, as desired, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 shows the latch plate or deck plate of FIG- URE 3 in which the carrier is provided with a sliding bump bar for allowing directional travel of the cover-carrier assembly from the pool area;

FIGURE 6 shows a top plan view of the latch plate supporting part of the pool cover-carrier assembly in which the bump bar shown in FIGURE 5 is now in extended position;

FIGURE 7 shows a rear end view of the cover-carrier assembly and in which is schematically shown the drive mechanisms of the carrier, as well as an end elevational view of the scoop assembly; and

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the cover-carrier assembly showing the scoop element having tapered edges for sliding and realigning itself with rollers on the latch plate, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an automatic, self-contained, self-guided swimming pool cover 10 and carrier 12 to comprise a cover-carrier assembly 14. The cover 10 in FIGURE 1 is shown in the position it would occupy in covering a typical private swimming pool (not shown). The carrier 12 has wheels or rollers 16, 16 that roll along the conventional lounge deck 18 that may be of concrete or other desired construction, the deck surface being shown in FIGURES 2 and 7.

The swimming pool cover 10 is shown in at least FIG- URES l and 2 to be a series of elongated, hingedly connected panels 20, 20 in which the length dimension thereof is longer than the overall width of the pool, and in which the length of the series of panels taken along the width dimensions thereof is longer than the longest dimension of the pool, being essentially the distance from outside of one coping to the outside of the remote coping of the pool. The panel wheels 22, 22 are mounted directly under each of the ends of the individual panels 20 to support the cover 10 from the deck 18 when the cover is in its extended position, and the Wheels also support the cover 10 from the carrier 12 when the cover is in its collapsed or closed position, as shown in part in FIGURE 2.

The carrier 12 for carrying the panels 20 is mounted on the rollers 16, as has been described, and the dimension between the rollers and the opposite ends of the carrier is slightly greater than the distance between the supporting wheels 22, 22 mounted on the panels, as is shown in FIGURE 7. It is within the construction and design of the carrier assembly 14 to provide the distance between the rollers 16, 16 and the wheels 22, 22 so that they are substantially of the same dimension. The carrier 12 is provided with a scoop assembly 26 positioned on the forward edge of the carrier, the forward side of the carrier being that side from which the swimming pool cover is on-loaded and off-loaded. The scoop assembly 26 is inclined sufllciently to have its remote end positioned under the supporting wheels 22, 22 of the panels as the carrier moves toward the left in FIGURE 2, and as the carrier continues to move toward the left, the supporting wheels 22, 22 move along the scoop assembly extension 28 which is generally horizontally disposed along the carrier and cooperates with the scoop assembly until the supporting wheels reach an end position in which the panels are in substantially stacked array, as shown in the right portion of FIGURE 2.-

As the carrier 12 moves further to the left, and as the scoop assembly approaches the left edge or free end of the series of panels 20, the scoop assembly 26 reaches under the supporting wheels 22a, and continues to lift the edge of the panels 20 in a generally upward direction as the supporting wheels 22a are directed along the scoop assembly 26. The free edge of the panels 20 includes a hook means 32 which normally engages a latch or hook receiving means 34 mounted on a deck or latch plate 36 secured to the deck 18. The hook receiving or latch means 36 is secured to the deck at one end of the pool and is positioned for receiving the hook means on the free edge of the pool cover when it is desired to off-load the panels 20 from the carrier 12, and also for securing firmly the series of panels in place when they are in their extended and covering position over the pool. In this way, the pool cover is firmly secured over the pool and complete security is achieved in having the pool adequately covered without the cover being improperly moved or dragged about. The carrier 12 serves to retain the fixed edge of the panels in a secured relation to the pool, and the weight of the carrier firmly secures the edge of the panels that are :afiixed to it so that the cover remains in place.

The latch means 34 may be secured by the deck plate or latch plate 36 in any fashion by which plates may be secured permanently to a concrete or similar type surface. When the Scoop assembly is in a position to make an overpass of the latch means 34, the scoop assembly continues in its path toward the left, as is apparent in FIGURE 2, so that the scoop assembly achieves an operation of lifting the hook means off of the latch means in its completion of the overpass thereof. In this way, the carrier after having collected all the panels and arranged them in a stacked array upon the carrier 12 is then capable of proceeding in a further direction off of the swimming pool deck, and its surrounding area if desired, until the carrier assembly is transported to a storage or parking position substantially off of the pool deck, or it may be alternatively stored on the peripheral portion of the pool deck area.

There are provided lateral edges 40, 40 on the horizontal portion of the scoop extension 32, which lateral edges are disposed in a tapered relation for engaging a roller 42 so that the alignment and. positioning of the carrier assembly 14 may be adjusted or readjusted in its orientation prior to its traverse of the pool. In this fashion, the carrier is capable of being entirely trackless in operation, and the carrier is able to traverse a reasonably consistent path in its covering and uncovering operation in loading and offloading the swimming pool cover upon the carrier. The roller is provided on the deck plate 36 similarly secured to the swimming pool deck as latch plate 36.

The carrier is driven by electrical drive means, shown in FIGURE 7, that may be battery operated, or may be energized from a power line with a conventional cord connection to the electrical drive means.

The panel carrier 12 is provided with a slidable bar 50, shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, positioned to abut or bump with the roller 42 so that when the sliding bar is in its extended position as shown in FIGURE 6, the carrier is prevented from travelling further beyond the latch plate 36. Thus it is seen that the roller 42 performs the dual functions of a stop for the carrier and also a carrier guide for correcting the path of the carrier.

It should be understood that the specific apparatus herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as many changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a trackless swimming pool cover system having a series of hingedly connected panels, means on the supporting end of each of the panels, a panel carrier mounted on a wheel arrangement and having the transverse dimension thereof slightly greater than said length dimension of the pool, hook means on the end of said series of panels remote from the panel carrier when the series of panels are in covering position, latch means for being secured to the pool deck about the said pool and for receiving said hook means when it is desired to offload the panels from the carrier as well as for securing firmly an end of the series of panels in place when in their covering position, and a scoop assembly positioned on the forward edge of said carrier and having an inclined surface disposed to engage the panels and to remove the hook means from the latch means when said inclined surface of said scoop assembly makes an overpass of said latch means, said latch means including mounted thereon a roller disposed to rotate about a generally vertical axis; said panel carrier having a lateral edge disposed in a tapered relation for engaging said roller of said latch means for adjusting the alignment of the panel carrier to a corrected position as it engages said roller, and slide bar means to stop the panel carrier in a position adjacent the latch means.

2. In a trackless swimming pool cover apparatus, a series of hingedly connected panels for covering a swimming pool in a pattern that is generally rectangular and which forms an array of stacked panels when folded about the hinged connections, a panel carrier for trans ferring the pool cover from the rectangular pattern to the stacked array when the panel carrier moves in one direction and for transferring the pool cover from the stacked array to the rectangular pattern when the panel carrier moves in the opposite direction, said panel carrier having a pair of lateral edges disposed in a tapered relation with respect to one direction of travel of said panel carrier, a roller for each lateral edge mounted on the pool deck and disposed for engaging the lateral edge for adjusting the alignment of the panel carrier to a corrected position for travel across the pool.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the panel carrier has a slide bar to stop the panel carrier in a position adjacent the roller.

4. In a trackless swimming pool cover apparatus, a series of hingedly connected panels for covering a swimming pool in a pattern that is generally rectangular and which forms an array of stacked panels when folded about the hinged connections, a panel carrier for transferring the pool cover from the rectangular pattern to the stacked array when the panel carrier moves in one direction and for transferring the pool cover from the stacked array to the rectangular pattern when the panel carrier moves in the opposite direction, a latch means being secured to the pool deck, hook means on a free end of the series of hingedly connected panels for engaging the latch means, and a scoop assembly mounted on the panel carrier to assist in the transferring of said panels, said scoop assembly also being operatively positioned to remove the hook means from the latch means as the panel carrier is directed over the latch means after having transferred the panels in a given operation, and further being capable of engaging the hook means onto the latch means as the panel carrier is moved in a direction to oppositely transfer the panels in another operation.

5. A trackless swimming pool cover comprising a series of elongated, hingedly connected panels in which the length dimension is dimensioned for extending beyond a given short dimension of a pool, said series being suflicient in number when the width dimensions of the panels are in adjacent relation for extending beyond a given length dimension of the pool;

roller means mounted on the supporting end of each of the panels;

a panel carrier mounted on a Wheel arrangement and having the dimension transverse to the direction of movement that is slightly greater than said length dimension of the panels, said panel carrier having a scoop assembly for on-loading the panels in stacked array and for off-loading the panels into the covering position for said pool as the panel carrier moves respectively in one of its given directions of travel;

hook means located on the end of said series of panels remote from the panel carrier with respect to the series of panels are positioned in the covering position;

latch means for being secured to the deck about the said pool and receiving said hook means when it is desired to off-load the panels from the carrier, and for securing firmly the series of panels in place when in their covering position;

said scoop assembly having an inclined surface disposed to remove the hook means from the latch means when said inclined surface of said scoop assembly makes an overpass of said latch means;

said latch means including mounted thereon a roller disposed to rotate about a generally vertical axis;

said scoop assembly having a lateral edge disposed in a tapered relation with respect to a given direction of travel for engaging said roller of said latch means in adjusting the alignment of the panel carrier to a corrected position as it engages said roller;

and slide means to retain the panel carrier in a stop position adjacent the latch means.

6. A trackless swimming pool cover comprising a series of elongated, hingedly connected panels in which the length dimension extends beyond a given short dimension of a pool, said series of panels being sufficient in number when the panels are in pool covering relation for extending beyond a given length dimension of the pool;

roller means on the supporting end of each of the panels;

a panel carrier mounted on a wheel arrangement for moving in a straight path over the pool, said panel carrier having a dimension transverse to the direction of movement that is at least as great as said length dimension of the panels, said panel carrier having a scoop assembly for on-loading the panels in stacked array and for off-loading the panels into the covering position for said pool as the panel carrier moves respectively in one of its given directions; and

hook means mounted on the free end of said series of panels and latch means for being secured to the deck about the said pool and adapted for receiving and retaining said hook means when it is desired to off-load the panels from the carrier, and for securing firmly the series of panels in place when in their covering position;

said scoop assembly having an inclined surface disposed to remove the hook means from the latch means when said inclined surface of said scoop assembly makes an overpass of said latch means, said panel carrier having a horizontal surface engaging said inclined surface for receiving and holding the panels in the on-loaded condition;

said latch means having mounted thereon a roller disposed to rotate about a generally vertical axis;

said scoop assembly having a lateral edge disposed in a tapered relation with respect to the given directions of travel for engaging said roller of said latch means for adjusting the alignment of the panel carrier to a corrected position as it engages the roller.

7. A trackless swimming pool cover comprising a series of elongated, hingedly connected panels in which the length dimension extends beyond a given short dimension of a pool, said series being sufficient in number for extending beyond a given length dimension of the pool when in a covering position;

roller means on the supporting end of each of the panels;

a panel carrier mounted on a wheel arrangement and having the dimension transverse to the direction of movement that is at least as great as said length dimension of the panels;

hook means on the free end of said series of panels;

latch means adapted for being secured to the deck about the said pool and receiving said hook means when it is desired to off-load the panels from the carrier, said latch means securing firmly the series of panels in place when in their covering position;

said scoop assembly being disposed to remove the hook means from the latch means when said panel carrier makes an overpass of said latch means; and

a roller mounted on said latch means disposed to rotate about a generally vertical axis;

7 said panel carrier having a lateral edge disposed in a tapered relation for engaging said roller of said latch means for adjusting the alignment of the panel carrier to a corrected position.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein a slide bar means is mounted on the panel carrier to stop the panel carrier in a position adjacent the latch means when it is in a displaced position and for allowing travel of the panel carrier when the slide bar means is not in the displaced position.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,895,143 7/1959 Seitz 4172 5 2,990,556 7/1961 Bender 4172 3,094,710 6/1963 Hoke 4172 3,118,148 1/1964 Taylor et a1. 4172 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

10 H. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A TRACKLESS SWIMMING POOL COVER SYSTEM HAVING A SERIES OF HINGEDLY CONNECTED PANELS, MEANS ON THE SUPPORTING END OF EACH OF THE PANELS, A PANEL CARRIER MOUNTED ON A WHEEL ARRANGEMENT AND HAVING THE TRANSVERSE DIMENSION THEREOF SLIGHTL GREATER THAN SAID LENGTH DIMENSION OF THE POOL, HOOK MEANS ON THE END OF SAID SERIES OF PANELS REMOTE FROM THE PANEL CARRIER WHEN THE SERIES OF PANELS ARE IN COVERING POSITION, LATCH MEANS FOR BEING SECURED TO THE POOL DECK ABOUT THE SAID POOL AND FOR RECEIVING SAID HOOK MEANS WHEN IT IS DESIRED TO OFFLOAD THE PANELS FROM THE CARRIER AS WELL AS FOR SECURING FIRMLY AN END OF THE SERIES OF PANELS IN PLACE WHEN IS THEIR COVERING POSITION, AND A SCOOP ASSEMBLY POSITIONED ON THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID CARRIER AND HAVING AN INCLINED SURFACE DISPOSED TO ENGAGE THE PANELS AND TO REMOVE THE HOOK MEANS FROM THE LATCH MEANS WHEN SAID INCLINED SURFACE OF SAID SCOOP ASSEMLBY MAKES AN OVERPASS OF SAID LATCH MEANS, SAID LATCH MEANS INCLUDING MOUNTED THEREON A ROLLER DISPOSED TO ROTATE ABOUT A GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS; SAID PANEL CARRIER HAVING A LATERAL EDGE DISPOSED IN A TAPERD RELATION FOR ENGAGING SAID ROLLER OF SAID LATCH MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE ALIGNMENT OF THE PANEL CARRIER TO A CORRECTED POSITION AS IT ENGAGES SAID ROLLER, AND SLIDE BAR MEANS TO STOP THE PANEL CARRIER IN A POSITION ADJACENT THE LATCH MEANS. 